The Washington critic., 1887-11-08
COUSIN SALLYS FREE PASS,

DhhtTy Wucu tuc IuttOuu pCopiu hios
come along here with their queer look
ing machines, alayin' out the new
track, we were all nightly exercised
about II. Some took one view and
some another. Some was pleased, and
said 'twould open up market to US
and increase the vally O. land; whilst
others allowed that the farms would
be ruined, tho wheat fields set afire,
the cattle run over and killed. and the
noise itself be an abidin' noosance.
tell you some of 'em was real mad,
but the maddest of the hull lot was
ondeniably Betsey Ann Simcoe.
She was single, unmarried woman,
about 40 or more, and lived on poor
little place of her own, just above the
Cross Keys tavern.
Twas only two or three acres Of
gravelly land, with two room frame
house on II. Folks said she had
leetlc money hid away somewhere, for
she was powerful sharp at making bar
gains and held tight grip on all she
got hold of, but, all the same, she made
agreat talk about poverty. as an excuse
for not giving more to the missionary
society and for repairs 10 the meeting.
house.
Still she seemed to get along's well
as anybody with her garden, and her
COW, and her poultry, and the little gal
she'd prenticed from the clty's poor.
house to help do chores.
She wasn't bad.tempered woman In
gen'ral, but tell you sne was mighty
riled up the day the railroad folks come
to her house and told her they were
surveyin' the track and that 1t would
hev to run right straight through her
house.
She rared up then, and lowed the
property was hers, and nobody had a
right to so much as set foot on 1t
without her consent. They were civil
enough, and explained, and said they
was willing to pay double the vally O.
the hull property for the privilege of
running the road through.
She wouldn't hear 1t, but out O.
sheer contrariness refused every offer,
though anybody could see that her
mouth watered at the very mention OF
the money.
She said she'd never give up her
home, and II they run their milne
through the house 'twould be over her
mangied body. And she wound up by
threatening II they didn't quit In
short time, she'd have them arrested
for trespass on her premises.
Well, next day she went down to
Hobbs Holler to see her cousin, Lu.
cindy Parks, and talk over the railroad
business. Lucindy and the rest tried
TO convince her that she'd get the best
O. the bargain by letting the railroad
company have the land; but she lowed
she'd not be turned out O. doors to
'commodate a passel o sassy men. folks
that cared for nothing but their own
good. She stayed two days at Lucin
dy's and than went back to her own
house at Cross Keys. Least ways, she
went TO where she'd left her house
standing, but when she come In sight
of II twas gone and nothin' OF 1t left
but lot O. burnt wood and ashes.
Then there was row Betsey Ann
accused the railroad folks Of burning
her house, and threatened to persecute
'em by the law. They lowed they
could prove by the neighbors that 1t
had been done accidentally by passel
o. tramps who campcd on the place the
night she was away, and made fire In
the woodshed to roast some of her
chickings for supper. When the chips
and wood caught and set fire to the
house, they'd got skeered and made
short tracks out O. Cross Keys Betsey
Ann was convinced the railroad folks
knew more about these tramps than
they choose to let on. But she dIdn',
say much--only dropped little hint
that she'd be even with them blmeby.
They offered to build her another
housed II she'd give up the land. Shit
said she'd consider Of 1t and let ZEN
know. Purity soon they come to ar
agreement. by which, besides paying
well for the land, they was to build hel
a two.story, four.room frame house
and likewise allow her to travel free on
the road for the rest of her life when
ever she wanted to, with a female com
panion along.
At first they objected to the compan
ion; but when she explained that sh,
was lone woman and couldn't thinl
of exposing herself to the attentions OF
strange men by travelling unprotected
they lated and agreed to put In tha
condition along with the rest, which
was done, and the papers made on
and signed and sealed according Il
law. You see they'd hearn the neigh
bors lafling at the idear Of Miss Since,
ever travelin' ON the railroads.&c. tha
had skeercely been farther from homt
than Ilobbs's Hollcr or Bowling Greer
mee,in house In all her life. and wa
most afeared 10 trust herself out o
sight of her own house.
Well, the company kept their wort
and run up two story, four'roou
frame house for Betsey Ann-seech a
It was. She declared twas nothing
better than a shanty, that wouldn'
keep ont the summers heat, nor win
ier's cold, and was liable to be blow
away by the first high wind that cam
along. The company said they hadn'
stipulated for the exact way the hous
was to be built, and they'd done til
best they could afford to do, and sh
ought to be satisfied. She shut II
then, but sot her jaw In way she ha
of her own when she'd made up he
mind TO something she dldn't choose t
talk about jest yet.
AT last the road was finished. an
one day everybody turned out 10 Sc
the milne, for the fnst time, com
tearin' and screeChin' up to Cross
Keys Betsey Ann Slmcoc she stOo
on the bank aud looked on, with
kind o. smile of triumph, for all tn
worlds If the hull concern bclouge
to her. Every time the train passo
she come out and looked ut II, TIL sh
got used to seeing 1t and hearing II
unearthly noise. And then one da
she tuck her little white help along
and got aboard the cars, and rode u
TO tho next station, us she said, to sc
how 1t felt and how she liked 1t. Mex
week she went agln as fur MS Glover
dnle and n LITTLE whilp artpr mazda nm